The Trey Hendrickson situation with the Cincinnati Bengals should remind many fans and analysts of a similar situation that happened last season with the Philadelphia Eagles and their own All-Pro edge rusher.
Last season, Pro Bowler Haason Reddick demanded a new deal with the Eagles, but the team did not want to pay him. Instead of waiting to see if he would hold out, Philadelphia traded the veteran to the New York Jets.
Even after the trade, Reddick still held out in the hopes of getting a long-term deal.
That never happened, though.
And NBC's Mike Florio made it clear that Hendrickson should learn from the mistake made by Reddick last season.
"So if Hendrickson refuses to show up, he’ll eventually be this year’s Reddick," Florio said. "The losses will grow by the day, and he’ll eventually show up.
"For Reddick, the Jets gave him a face-saving tweaking of the final year of his contract. The Bengals won’t do that."
Hendrickson has made some very public comments in recent weeks about the Bengals being unwilling to negotiate with him regarding a long-term deal. Many teams (even the Eagles), are expected to open trade discussions with Cincinnati if the organization is looking to move a player with a combined 34 sacks in two season.
Reddick's holdout tanked not only his career, but the Jets as well. The Eagles can look back on that trade with humor as it helped them win Super Bowl LIX. It's something that Hendrickson must take into account at this point as well.
